James Hahn

James Kenneth Hahn (3 July 1950-) was Mayor of Los Angeles from 1 July 2001 to 1 July 2005, succeeding Richard Riordan and preceding Antonio Villaraigosa.

Biography
James Kenneth Hahn was born in Los Angeles, California on 3 July 1950, and he came from a line of local politicians; he was the brother of Congresswoman Janice Hahn. He worked as a prosecutor and deputy city attorney from 1975 to 1979 and as a lawyer from 1979 to 1981, after which he served as City Controller from 1981 to 1985, City Attorney from 1985 to 2001, and Mayor from 2001 to 2005. During his mayoral tenure, he appointed former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton as LAPD Police Commissioner, leading to a sharp decline in crime rates. He also defeated secession attempts in Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley, and San Pedro, keeping the city of Los Angeles intact. However, he lost for re-election due to African-American opposition to the ousting of previous LAPD Commissioner Bernard Parks and the San Fernando Valley's anger at the failure of their secession bid. In 2008, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him a judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court.